Decision 46 COM 7B.5

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai (Belgium) (C 1009)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 24 COM X.C.1 adopted at its 24th (Cairns, 2000) session,
3. Regrets that, in deconstructing and reconstructing the Pont des Trous, the State Party did not fully consider the symbolic importance of the bridge in the recent history of Tournai, and considers that the project has resulted in a negative impact on the historical integrity of Tournai, which forms the setting of the World Heritage property ‘Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai’ and buffer zone of the Tournai component of the World Heritage property ‘Belfries of Belgium and France;
4. Notes with concern the ‘Carré Jason’ project being implemented in the buffer zone of the Tournai component of the ‘Belfries of Belgium and France’ and directly adjacent the ‘Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai’, the current design of which will have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of these properties, and therefore requests the State Party to halt its implementation and to review the project design in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS;
5. Acknowledges the need for the refurbishment of the Musée des Beaux Arts in Tournai in the wider setting of the Tournai component of the World Heritage property ‘Belfries of Belgium and France’ and the World Heritage property ‘Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai’, but with regard to its extension, also requests the State Party to revise the impact assessment of the project in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, including the potential impact of the planned high-rise addition, to submit the revised Heritage Impact Assessment to the World Heritage Centre for review by ICOMOS, and encourages the State Party to engage in dialogue with them to discuss alternatives to the project;
6. Considers also that the three above-mentioned projects, each in a different way, constitute irreversible alterations to the historic fabric of Tournai and pose a cumulative threat to the preservation of the OUV of the property, and of the Tournai component of the World Heritage property ‘Belfries of Belgium and France’;
7. Reminds the State Party of the additional layer of protection provided to World Heritage properties by their buffer zones and the supportive role of a property’s wider setting in ensuring the maintenance of all aspects of its OUV, as set out in Paragraph 112 of the Operational Guidelines;
8. Further requests the State Party to:
   1. Undertake a thorough identification of the attributes that convey the OUV of the property and of the Tournai component of the ‘Belfries of Belgium and France’,
   2. Strengthen the regulatory system for the protection of their buffer zones and wider settings,
   3. Fully align the planning and management framework of the properties with the objective of protecting and preserving their OUV,
   4. Develop a joint management plan for the two World Heritage properties in Tournai,
   5. Use from the early project planning stages impact assessments prepared in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context,
   6. Extend the buffer zone of the ‘Notre-Dame Cathedral de Tournai’ to align it with the buffer zone of the Tournai component of the World Heritage property ‘Belfries of Belgium and France’;
9. Also reminds the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre of its intention to undertake or to authorize in an area protected under the Convention major restorations or new constructions which may affect the OUV of the property before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, so that the Committee may assist in seeking appropriate solutions to ensure that the OUV of the property is fully preserved, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2025, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 48th session.